Semaphore-stop.



W. K. HOWE.

SEMAPHORE STOP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 6. 1911.

1,1 37,323. Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- no 1 no 0 llVI/E/VTOR THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHom-LITHQ. WASHINGTON D4 W. K-. HOWE.

SEMAPHORE STOP.

APPLICATION r1150 111111.15. 1911.

1,137,323. Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET Z- HQ. 111

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WINTHROP K. HOWE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF GATES, NEJV YORK, A CORPORATION OF NET/V YORK.

SEMAPHORE-STOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

Application filed March 6, 1911. Serial No. 612,529.

Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Semaphore-Stop, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a stop to govern the limit of movement in both directions of the well known oscillating semaphore.

The object of this invention is to construct and arrange a mechanism which serves as a stop for a movable semaphore in such manner that the same stop can be used to govern the limits of movement of both an upper quadrant indication signal and a lower quadrant indication signal by the mere reversal of easily reversed parts.

A further object of the invention is'to so construct and arrange a semaphore stop and mechanism connected with the semaphore that the minimum of changes are needed to convert the semaphore, e'ither upper quadrant indication or-lower quadrant indication, from a 90 movement to any other desired extent of movement.

The invention consists of the idea of means, the physical embodiment of which herein illustrated exhibits one form in which the principle of the invention may be embodied.

The form selected to illustrate the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings of which:

Figure 1, is a back elevation of the semaphore and stop mechanism. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the lock and shaft driver carrying the stop contact arms shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a back elevation of the semaphore stop mechanism as arranged for right hand lower quadrant indication. Fig. 4, is a view showing a method of connecting the semaphore to its shaft. Fig. 5, is a cross sectional view on the line AB, of Fig. I, viewed in thedirection of the arrows with the parts separated Fig. 6, is an inside face view of a coupling member with a driver dog in place thereof. Fig. 7 is a face view of a modified shaft driver.

Similar characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views.

0onstructz'on.l, designates the semahore mast to which the bearing 2 is attached by means of the U bolts 3; the said U bolts 3 having their ends screw threaded as at 4, so that a nut 5 may be screwed thereon in order to firmly clamp the bearing 2 to the mast; 6 designates a shaft journaled in the bearing 2 to the frontend of which is rigidly attached the semaphore 7, best shown in Fig. 4, having the usual roundels 8; the shaft 6 may have a cone 37 formed on its outer end upon which a tapered hole in the semaphore fits snugly, being held thereto by washer 38 and nut 39; the nut 39 being locked from turning by locking nut .40. This construction allows semaphore 7 to be placed and locked at any well known manner iszfirmly attached to shaft 6, and is driven from any source of power by means of a shaft 10, a coupling member 11, and a driver dog 12, which driver dog 12 plays between the shoulders 13, 14, 15 and 16, formed on the shaft driver 9, if the driver is in the position shown in Fig. 1, but if it is reversed as shown in Fig. 3, the driver dog 12, plays between similar shoulders 41, 42, 43, and 44, on the reverse side of member 9, and also between similar shoulders on the driving part of the coupling 11. The semaphore in moving to the clear position, moves in the direction of the arrow at, and in order to prevent a maliciously inclined person from manually moving the semaphore 7 in the direction of the held in a case 18, so that it may reciprocate therein, a spring 19, normally pressing. it outwardly, the tension of which spring can be adjusted by a screw threaded plug 20, having a square head for the turning thereof. The lock dog 17, when the semaphore is at danger, that is as shown in Fig. 1, bears in a notch 21 formed in the periphery of the shaft driver 9, the said notch having a square shoulder adapted to abut against the lock dog 17 when it is attempted to move the semaphore 7 manually toward. the clear position. In order to move the lock dog 17 from engagement with the shoulder of the notch .21, when it is desired. to clear the semaphore by the actuation of the shaft '10, the lockdog 17 is formed with beveled edges 22wh-ich, upon a preliminarymovement of the-coupling member ll engage with a sloping shoulder 23 on said coupling member 11 and is thereby moved out of-engagement with the shoulder of the notch 21, so that a continued movement of the coupling memberll, acting on the driver member 12, causes the shaft driver 9 to turn and so turn the shaft 6, and move the semaphore to the desired position. V

On one side of the bearing 2 is formed the cavity 24;,the outer face of which is normally covered byv the plate 25 attached to the bearing 2,'by means of screws as 26; so that it may be readily detached for purposes to be later described. Within the cavity 2is placed the removable reversible'plunger 27, which bears an outstanding lug 28 extending in the path of arms 29 and30 on the shaft driver 9, through the top and bottom walls forming the cavity 2% arescrew threaded the set screws 31 and 32, the said set screws being in the usual manner capable of adjustment and also in the usual manner capable of being locked in adjusted position by means ofthe lock nuts 33; 34 designates a small round. plate bearing against the inner end ofthe lower set screw 32 within the cavity 24 and having bearing thereagainst the expansion spring 35, which expansion spring rests within a cavity 36 of the removable plunger 27 and as shown in Fig. 1, normally exerts a pressure to hold the plunger to the upper limit of the movement of plunger 27 said upper limit of movement being controlled by the position. of upper set screw 31. As shown in Fig. 1, the angle included between the points of contact of arm 30 with the upper side of lug 28, and of arm 29 at the lower side of lug 28, is 90 thus allowing the shaft driver 9 to move through an arc of 90 from one position to the other, thereby allowing the semaphore 7 to also describe an arc of 90 in moving from the full danger position to the full clear position. .The arm 29, however, may be formed any desired angular distance from arm 30 so as to limit the angular'movementof the semaphore to any desired amount as shown by arm 29 Fig. 7

Operati0n.-The operation of the power means connected to the shaft 10, causes through coupling member 11, the forcing of lock dog 17 from engagement with the notch 21, in the periphery of shaft driver 9, a further movement of coupling member 11 act ing through the driver 12 causes a rotation of shaft driver 9 in the direction of arrow a, Fig. 1, causing the shaft 6 to also revolve in the'same direction carrying with it the semaphore 7. When the semaphore has moved through an arc of 90, the arm 29, of shaft driver 9, contacts with the lower side of lug 28, and so causes the semaphore in its clear position to 'bein the, very position desired. Itis to be observed, th'atcoir,

tact of arm 29 with the lower side of lug 28 causes plung'er' 2'. to press against the ri id so weighted that it normally returns torthe position shown in Fig. 1, will also return, carrying with'it shaft 6, theshaft driver 9, andwill when the semaphore .reaches the position shown inFig. 1, cause arm. 30 to contact with the upperside jot lug 28, by

which means the falling of the semaphore 7 to the position shown in Fig. 1,'is cushioned, asthe contact of arm 30 with lug 28 causes 'plunger27' to'press against resilient spring Any desired degree of buffer action in thus stopping the semaphore when it reaches. the full danger position may be obtained by suitably adjusting the set screw 32 and locking-the same in adjusted positionjby meansof the lock nut I i i In Fig. 1, an upper quadrant indication semaphore has been illustrated, but it is to be observed that by reversingthe plunger 27,'and spring 35, and plate 34 within the cavity 24 510 that plunger 27 bears against lower set screw 32, the spring buffer and stop herein illustrated could be made to serve as such for a lower quadrant indication semaphore, and'this can be easily accomplished by removing screws26, taking off plate 25, removing plunger 27, reversing it end for end and placingit back in position. The only other change necessary is to reverse shaft driver 9 upon the shaft 6, so that arm 29 will lie above the shaft 6, rather than below it, and the arm 30 willrbear against the lower part of lug 28, rather than the upper, all as fully shown in It is also to be observed that the angular distances between the points of contact of arm 30 and arm 29 may be of'any value d'esired, so that by substituting for shaft driver'9, one having the proper angular distance therebetween, the reversible adjust= able stop and buffer herein shown could be used as such to limit the movement of any semaphore either upper quadrant or lower.

quadrant indication. moving from danger to clear position through any desired angular distance, as has been fully explained heretofore. Itis also to be observedthat the .device as shown in Fig. 1, is capable of very close adjustment for, if the semaphore 7, when in the danger position, does not assume a position exactly at right angles to thevertical, it may bemade to do so, by suitable adjustment of set screw 32 andif at the full clear or 90 position, it does not assume a position exactly parallel with the vertical, it may be made to do so by adjusting the set screw 31.

Itis thus seen that applicant has invented a combined spring buffer, and rigid stop which can serve as such to limit the upward and downward movement of a semaphore moving through any angle either in the upper or lower quadrant and that the buffer resistance offered to the semaphore when returning by gravity to the danger position, can be made of any required value.

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of the form of physical embodiment selected to illustrate my idea of means and having fully explained the principle thereof, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a combined buffer, stop, lock, and coupling, a shaft, a driven member rigid with said shaft, having an operated and a normal position, said member having a looking notch in the periphery thereof, a spring pressed dog engaging said notch, a driver to engage and having lost motion with respect to said driven member, a driver member having lost motion with respect to said driver and engaging said driver, a notch having a sloping side in the periphery of said driver member, said spring pressed dog having a beveled end adapted to be engaged by said sloping side and pressed outwardly thereby, whereby said spring pressed dog is removed from the notch in said driven member upon a rotation in one direction of said driver member, arms on said driven member, a member adapted to be engaged by one of said arms in normal position of said driven member on one side and to be engaged by said other arm on the other side in the operated position of said driven member, an adjustable spring holding said member resiliently against the arm which is adapted to contact it in the normal position of said driven member, and an adjustable rigid abutment adapted to hold said member from movement when the other arm bears against it in the operated position of said driven member.

2. In an adjustable semaphore stop, a semaphore, having a normal and an operated position, a shaft attached rigidly to said semaphore, arms rigid on said shaft, a member adapted to be forced in one direction by one of the arms when the semaphore is in normal positionand in the other direction when the semaphore is in operated position, an adjustable spring resiliently holding said member against movement when the semaphore is in normal position and an adjustable rigid stop for holding said member against movement when the semaphore is inoperated position.

3. In an adjustable semaphore stop, a semaphore having a normal and an operated position, arms moved in unison with said semaphore, a member contacted by said arms for holding said semaphore in said two positions, and adjustable means to vary the position of said member, whereby the angle of said semaphore to the vertical in its two positions may be varied.

4. In a semaphore stop, a semaphore having a plurality of positions, a shaft to which said semaphore is attached, arms on said shaft disposed at an angle one to theother, a plunger having a lug for contact with said arms, said plunger adapted to be reversed end for end, a spring adapted to always press against one end of said plunger.

5.-In a semaphore stop, a semaphore, a shaft on which said semaphore is mounted, a member which may be placed on said shaft in two positions,a movable plunger for contact with said member, the plunger being reversible end for end, resilient means adapted to always bear against one end of said plunger, adjustable means to limit the movement of said plunger, the said member when placed on said shaft in one of said positions co-acting with said plunger to limit the movement of said shaft to a particular arc, and when placed on said shaft in the other of said positions co-acting with said plunger to limit the movement of said shaft to another particular arc.

6. In a universal semaphore stop, an oscillatable semaphore, arms moved in unison with said semaphore, said arms facing each other and forming an angle therebetween equal to the angle of movement of the semaphore, the vertex being at the center of oscillation of the semaphore, means including a single reciprocatable member for limiting the movement of said arms in both directions by contacting with said arms, adjustable means for limiting the reciprocation of said member.

7. In a semaphore stop, a semaphore, a shaft on which said semaphore is mounted, means to oscillate said shaft, a member which may be placed on said shaft in two positions, said member having arms disposed at an angle one to the other and facing each other, an adjustable reversible stop for contact with said arms, the said member when placed on said shaft in one of said positions coacting with said stop to limit the movement of said semaphore to a particular arc, and when placed on said shaft in the other of said positions coacting with said stop, to limit the movement of said semaphore to another particular arc.

8. In a semaphore mechanism, an oscillatable semaphore, a reciprocating plunger reversible end for end, resilient means always pressing against the end of said plunger, means to limit the movement of said plunger, means coacting with said semaphore and said plunger for governing the limit of semaphore movement in both directions.

9. In a semaphore mechanism, a semaphore having a normal and an operated position, a reciprocatable member having a single lug, means moving in unison With said semaphore adapted to co-act With said lug, means co-acting With said member adapted to rigidly prevent the semaphore moving beyond the operated position, and to resiliently prevent the semaphore from passing beyond the normal position in one direction.

10. In a semaphore stop, a semaphore, arms disposed atan angle one to the other operating in unison With saidsemaphore, a single reciprocatable member having a lug for co-aeting With said arms to limit the oscillation of said semaphore in both directions, means to limit the reciprocation of having a plurality of positions, a shaft tov which said semaphore is attached, arms on said shaft disposed at an angle one;to the other, a plunger having a lug for contact With said arms, a spring adapted to always press against one end of said plunger.

' 12. In a semaphore stop, a semaphore having a plurality of positions, a shaft to which said semaphore is attached, arms on said shaft disposed at an angle one to the other, a spring pressed plunger having a lug for contact With said arms.

" WINTHROP K. HOWVE.

' Witnesses:

Wu. R. GLAVIN, FRANK B. DUNNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, 1). c. 

